Origin of the Musselwhite Family in Wiltshire

The following has been pieced together from material on the internet. It is presented here, as is. Any errors in this information will be corrected as and when they are identified. Certainly, the Ancestory web site must be credited with not only many of the dates and relationships, but for giving the inspiration to embark on this project.

Tristram Mussell was born in 1620 (in the reign of James I) at Steeple Langford Manor. While the English Civil War was raging, he married Elizabeth White (1623-1701) whose family came from Baverstock Manor and apparently had the blazon, 'Gules, a chevron vair between 3 lions rampant or'. They united the two families under the surname of Musselwhite, and had at least one son, William Musselwhite (1649-1729). Elizabeth's mother was Margery Fortye Fortie (1597-1668) who in turn was born of John Fortie (1570-1632) and Katherine Cateren Iver Ivie (1574-1668). Meanwhile, Tristram was the son of Tristram Mussell (born 1580) and Bridget Whitaker (born 1582). However, his mother died in 1623 when he was three years old, and his father died in 1624 when he was four years old. His maternal grandfather, Jeffrie Whitaker (born 1542) had already died before he was born, in 1601, and his maternal grandmother, Katherine Graunt (born 1542) too, died in 1599. Also, his paternal grandfather, Nicholas Mussell (born 1560) had already died in 1619, the year before he was born. That just leaves his paternal grandmother, Alicia Potticary (born 1555) who lived until 1663, to the outstanding age of 108. It is only speculation, but perhaps she would have been the one in charge of bringing up her grand-children (Nicholas, Tristram, Christopher, Margaret and Elizabeth).

The paternal grandfather, Nicholas Mussell, had acquired Steeple Langford Manor in 1588 (in the reign of Elizabeth I) to join the surrounding arable (corn) and sheep farmland whose lease his father, Johannes "John" Mussell (1533-1576) (born in the reign of Henry VIII, and my twelve-times great grandfather) had already acquired, around 1557 (in the reign of Mary I). When Nicholas Mussell died, it passed to his son Tristram, the elder, who became full owner as a settlement on his marriage to Bridget Whitaker in 1605. When they died, it was passed to their eldest son, Nicholas, who then sold it, in 1628, when his brother, Tristram, was about eight years old. This then begs the question of where the family were then living, though it is known that Tristram Mussell and Elizabeth White had their son, William Musselwhite, at Baverstock, and were still there when they died. Indeed, their grandson, John Musselwhite, was born and died there, and their great grandson, Edward Musselwhite, as born there, before moving to Barford St. Martin.